Condiment container



March 20, 1934. c. H. KREIDLER CONDIMENT CONTAINER Filed May 31, 1935 VA/WW? 1N VEN TOR.

Car/ /7. '1

BY I

- ATTORNEY.

Patented 20, 1934 UNITED STATES CONDIMENT CONTAINER Carl B. Kreidler, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to La Porte Specialties,

Inc., La. Porte, Ind., a

corporation of Indiana Application May 31, 1933, Serial No. 673,703

9 Claims.

The invention relates to condiment contain-1 ers, and particularly to combined saltand pepper shakers of. the type having separate compartments for the salt and pepper, either of which compartments may be selectively opened.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a two part container with an apertured closure and cooperating control member therefor, which closure and control member may be applied to and removed from said container as a A further object is to provide a two compartment container with a removable cover. I

A further object, is to provide a container with a removable closure cap which carries a spring pressed control member bearing on said container.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is simple and cheap to manufacture and assemble.

With theabove and other objects in view, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

t Figure 1 is a view of the device-in side elevaion. I

t Figure 2 is a view of the device in end eleval0l'l'.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the device taken on line 3- -3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the device taken on line 4--4 of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the device.

lligure 6 is a perspective view of the closure um Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 des- -ignates a container provided with a central transverse vertical partition 11 forming compartments 12 and 13 in the container, both of which compartments are open at their upper ends. The container 10 is preferably formed of glass or pottery, but it may be formed of any other desired material.

A cap or cover 14 having a downwardly 'directed peripheral flange 15 fits tightly on the upper open end of the container and is provided with series 16 and 17 of apertures which communicate with the compartments 12 and 13. respectively. Integrally formed with flange 15 of cap 14 on opposite sides of said cap and in spaced relation, are a plurality of downwardly directed spring tabs 18 which are angularly inwardly bent at 19 adjacent their lower ends to fit into pocket'sxor recesses 20 formed in the sides-of the container 10. Adjacent the opposite side edges of the cap 14, and in spaced relation, the cap 14 is slit to form a plurality of tabs. 21 which are "bent upwardly and thence in parallel off-set inwardly directed relation to said cap to form uides 22. i The plate 23 is disposed in face contacting relation on cap 14 and is disposed beneath the guide tabs 22 by which its movement longitudinally of the cap is guided. At one of its ends the plate 23 is provided with a central longitudinal extension '24 which terminates in a downwardly directed flange 25 which normally engages flange 15 of cap 14. In opposite aligned relation to extension 24 is provided another integral extension member 26 which extends in the same plane as plate 23 to a point in outwardly spaced relation to cap 14, and thence is bent downwardly and angularly inwardly to provide a spring member 27 which engages container 10 in spaced relation below cap 14, Two series of apertures, 28 and 29, are formed in plate 23 adjacent the opposite ends thereof, and are so arranged that the apertures 29 normally register with apertures 17 of cap 14 to maintain compartment. 13 open while apertures 28 are normally positioned out of registration with apertures 16 of cap 14 to maintain compartment l2 closed. It will be seen that by longitudinally urging plate 23 against the action of spring 27, the plate may be positioned with apertures 28 registering with apertures 16 to open compartment 12, and with apertures 29 out of registration with apertures 17t0 close compartment 13.

In the assembly of the device, plate 23 is first applied to cap 14, which may be readily achieved by first forming the tabs 21 in a position perpendicular to the cap and then bending said tabs down to form portions 22 overlying and retaining plate 23 in operative relation to the cap. It will be seen that this forms a unitary cap assembly whose parts are operatively held together by tabs 22 and by the downwardly directed plate extensions 25 and 27 which prevent displacement of r the cap and plate by longitudinal sliding movement. The cap assembly may then be applied to the container 10 by spreadingltabs 18 of the cap so that they pass over the sides of the container to permit the inwardly directed portions 19 thereof to fitinto recesses 20 in the sides of' the container 10. The cap assembly is thus removably snapped on the container, the position of whose recesses 20 is such that the seating of tab portions 19 therein holds the cap tightly to the upper open edge of the container and prevents exhaust of container contents through the open end thereof except through the cap and plate apertures. The construction of this container eliminates securing of the spring 27' to container 10, and readily permits placement and removal of the cap assembly relative to the container,

whereby the container may be filled through its open end.

It will readily be seen that, while the device is primarily intended for use with two compartment containers, its application is not necessarily limited thereto, but may be extended to any refillable open ended container with which it is desired to employ an apertured closure controlled by an overlying apertured member.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. The combination with an open ended container, a partition dividing said container into compartments, of a cover for said container hav-' ing an aperture communicating with each compartment, an arm depending from said cover and having an inwardly directed end, said container having a recess in one side thereof for the reception of the inwardly directed end of said arm, a plate disposed in face contacting relation to said cover and having a pair of apertures formed therein, a spring carried by said plate and bearing against one side of said container, a flange carried by said plate opposite said spring and engaging said container in opposition to said spring to normally position one plate aperture in registration with one cover aperture, said plate being shiftable against the action of said spring to position the other aperture thereof in registration with the other cover aperture, and a tab carried by said cover and overlying said plate, said cover and plate being removable from said container as a unit.

2. The combination with a container having a vertical partition therein to provide two compartments open at their upper ends, of a cover for said container, spring means carried by said cover a and engaging said container, said cover having' of, a partition dividing said container into com-' partments, of a cover for said container having an aperture communicating with each compartment, a plate disposed in face contacting relation with said cover and having a pair of apertures formed therein, a spring carried by said plate and bearing on said container to normally position one plate aperture in registration with one cover aperture, said plate being shiftable against the action of said spring to position the other plate aperture with the other cover aperture, means locking said plate on said cover and guiding the shifting of said plate, and a spring carried by said cover and seating in-said container recess to removablysecure said cover and plate to said container.

4. The combination with an open ended container having a recess in one side thereof, a partition dividing said container into compartments,

of a cover for said container having an aperture communicating with each compartment; an apertured plate shiftably secured to said cover, a spring carried by said plate and bearing on said container'to normally position said plate to open one compartment through registering plate and cover apertures, said plate being shiftable against the action of said spring to open the other compartment through registering plate and cover apertures, and a spring carried by said cover and seating in said container recess to removably secure said cover and plate to said container as a unit;

5. The combination with an open ended container having shoulders formed at opposite sides thereof, a partition dividing said container into compartments, of a cap for said container having an aperture communicating with each compartment, an apertured plate shiftably secured to said cap, a spring carried by said plate and bearing on said container to normally position said plate to open one compartment through registering plate and cap apertures, saidplate being shiftable against the action of said spring to open the other compartment through registering plate and cap apertures, and spring arms container against the action of said spring arms.

6. The combination with an open ended container, having shoulders formed at opposite sides thereof, a partition dividing said container into compartments, of a cover for said container having an aperture communicating with each compartment, a spring pressed apertured plate shiftably secured-to said cover and normally positioned to open one compartment through registering cover and plate apertures and shiftable to open the other campartment through registering cover and plate apertures, and springs carried by said cover and engaging said shoulders to removably secure said cover to said container.

'7. The combination with an open ended container, of an apertured closure for said container,

an apertured plate overlying said closure and having opposed downturned ends, one of said plate ends forming a spring bearing on said container to oppose sliding of said plate on said closure, .means carried by said closure to guide sliding of said plate, and spring arms carried by said closure and engaging said container to removably mount said closure and plate on said container as a unit.

8. The combination with an open ended container having shoulders formed in opposite sides thereof, of an apertured closure for said container, a spring pressed apertured plate shiftably ried by said closure and engaging said container at said shoulders to detachably secure said closure and plate to said container as a unit.

9. An apertured cap for an open ended container including a marginal depending flange, spring arms carried by said fiangeon 'opposite sides of said cap for frictional engagement with said container, an apertured plate mounted for guided movement on said cap, means secured to said closure, and resilient means car-' limiting movement of said plate in one direction,

and a spring carried by said plate for engagement with said container to normally urge said plate against the action of said last named means.

CARL H. KREIDLE R. 

